GRIPS: A Framework for Coherent Power
“To truly come to GRIPS with national power, we must mind the gaps—between capabilities, across institutions, and across allied geographies—before our rivals do.”
- In an era of systemic competition, national strength depends not just on accumulating power—but on aligning it. That’s the purpose of GRIPS: a modern framework developed by Mark R. Kennedy to identify, coordinate, and elevate the core capabilities that determine national advantage.
- GRIPS defines five interdependent pillars of power. Each is essential. None is sufficient on its own.
Governance: Inspiring Trust in Institutions and Purpose
- Strong governance enables a nation to act with unity, legitimacy, and foresight. It encompasses:
- Institutional competence and public integrity
- Rule of law, democratic resilience, and fiscal discipline
- Confidence in science, civil society, and civic norms
- Governance shapes how citizens engage, how the world perceives, and how crises are managed. Without it, no other pillar can be fully realized.
Resilience: Withstanding Economic, Energy, and Systemic Shocks
Resilience is the ability to absorb disruptions and adapt under pressure. It includes:
- Supply chain security and redundancy
- Energy independence and resource flexibility
- Financial agility and policy responsiveness
Resilience blunts the tools of coercion, sustains deterrence, and preserves freedom of action. It is the bedrock of national autonomy.
Innovation: Driving Technological and Strategic Advantage
Innovation fuels the engines of national power—from economic growth to military capability. It includes:
- Leadership in semiconductors, AI, biotech, and clean tech
- Research ecosystems and talent pipelines
- Public-private coordination in emerging technologies
Without innovation, nations fall behind in shaping the rules, tools, and terrain of tomorrow.
Perception: Earning Legitimacy and Shaping the Narrative
Power is partly perceptual. The world’s beliefs about a nation—its intent, values, and credibility—affect everything from market access to alliance durability. Perception involves:
- Public diplomacy and global media narratives
- Strategic messaging and soft power
- Visible alignment between ideals and action
Without perception, even superior capabilities may fail to inspire trust or deter aggression.
Security: Deterring Aggression and Shaping Outcomes
Security is the bedrock of strategic credibility. It is not just military strength, but how force is integrated with diplomacy and economic statecraft. It includes:
- Defense modernization and readiness
- Integrated deterrence with allies
- Strategic investments in industrial base and infrastructure
Security must evolve with the threat environment—and reinforce rather than isolate other pillars.
Why GRIPS Matters: Coming to GRIPS Means Minding the Gaps
- GRIPS is not a checklist—it’s a systems lens. Each pillar is linked to the others through complex dependencies and feedback loops.
- Innovation without resilience is fragile. Security without perception is unsustainable. Governance without trust erodes every other effort.
- To come to GRIPS with national power is to grasp these dynamics.
- To mind the gap is to:
- Identify disconnects between pillars
- Detect misalignments between institutions
- Coordinate across allied geographies and policy domains
Power today is not additive—it is integrative. GRIPS reveals the fractures that weaken strategy—and the synergies that make it endure.